Pneumatic-tube system.



PATENTED JAN. l, 1907.

B. c. BATGHELLBR.- PNEUMATIG TUBE SYSTEM.

A?.PLIOAT-ION ILED HAY 1, 1905.

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/Nvew ron Arron/mf,

PATENTED JAN..1, 190'7.

B. G. BATGHELLER. PNEUMATIG TUBE SYSTEM.

PPLIOATION FILED MAY 1, 1906,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

www:

T-f nro/mn. l

THE-Nonni: Frisk: co., wasumaran, n. c.

PATENTED JAN. 1, .1907. B. o. BATYGHBLLBR. v PNBUMATIG TUBE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION P ILED MAYl, 1905.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 3.

THE NoRms PETERS co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

stations.

n UNITED sTATEs ETENT oEEIoE.

BIRNEY O. BATOHELLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEARSALL PNEUMATIC TUBE AND POWER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATlC-TUBE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 190'?.

To a/ZZ whom, it mcty'concern:

Be it'known that I, BIRNEY C. BATcI-IEL- LER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic-Tube Systems, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to an improved pneumatic-tube system adapted to operate both as a pressure and vacuum system, the object of my invention being to provide for the operation of the system from one station as a pressure system and from a connected station as a vacuum system, also to provide improved mechanism for the operation and regulation of the system as a whole.

Broadly speaking, my invention consists in providing a system of the kind indicated with means for actuatingl it as a pressure system at one station and with means for actuating it as a vacuum system controlled and operated from the other connected station.

The nature of my improvements as a whole will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, in which they are illustrated, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation indicating the eneral character of the system. Fig. 2 is a ront view of the'valves and valve-actuating mechanism at the home sta'tion, shown on the section-line 2 2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 3is a side elevation of the same appliances, shown on the section-line 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on' the line 4 4 of Fig, 2; and Fig. 5, a vplan view, partly sectioned, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

A and B indicate two connected stations, O being the pneumatic tube connecting said The end C of the tube at station A, or the home station, is indicated as beveled to afford aseat for the flap-valve, (indicated at D,) D indicatin the hingearms to which the valve is attache ,whilethe end C2 at stationB is normally open. The tube C at the home station connects, through lateral ports C3, with a chamber H of a casing H, which is formed with a diaphragm-chamber H2 at its top and which is in communication with the upper end of a vacuum pipe orreservoir G. The valve H3 normally closes the mouth of the vacuum-pipe and isconnected, through a spindle H4, with the diaphragm H5, which extends across the diaphragm-chamber H2 and is Adrawn upwardly a spring H, fastened to a bracket H7. The vacuum-chamber H2 connects, through a port HS, (see Fig. 2 with a chamber I2 of a casing I, the lower portion of which connects, through a pipe I ,with a vacuum-reservoir (not shown) and through a port I3 with the atmosphere.

I5 is a valve which when drawn up closes the port I3 and when allowed to fall closes the vacuum-pipe I, and I4 indicates an electromagnet acting on the valve is an armature and connected with the circuit-wires P P, which Wires extend to the station B and are there connected with spring-terminals P P, normally connected by a plate Q, drawn toward and held in contact with the springterminals by a time escapement device, (indicated at O,) the contact-plate being drawn upand the time escapement set in operation through a lever Q2 and chain Q.

The electromagnetic mechanism shown and the general system of which it forms a part form the subject-matter of my copending applications for Letters Patent, Serial No. 251,208, filed March 21,' 1905, and Serial No. 249,569, filed March 11, 1905, and are therefore not specifically claimed in the present application.

At the home station the tube is also connected, throughl lateral passages, (indicated at 04,) with a chamber F2 of a casing F, said casing having also a chamber4 F which is in constant communication with a pressure or supply pipe E, the chambers F and F2 communicating through the valve-seated p ort F3. The valve FG normally closes this'port, being lheld to its seat by a spring F4, land the valve is provided with a spindle F5, which projects up through the casing and through which the valve is opened.

J is a hand-lever pivoted on or to the shaft J and having a lever extension J2, which connects, through a pin J 2, with the slotted head N of the time escapement mechanism to be described. The lever or its arm J2 has also attached to it the laterally-extending arm J4, placed to contact with a finger or arm K of a lever-arm K, which is pivoted on the shaft J, and connected at its outer end with a link K2,

which in turn is pivotally connected to a le@ Theslotted head N, having the shoulder.

N at its bottom, is attached to the upper end of the piston-rod-N the piston N3 moving in the time escapement cylinder O and being pressed downward by a spring O. The cylinder O has` a lower port O connecting, through a lateral passage O4, with an intermediate port O5, closed by a spring-valve O5, and with an upper restricted port O3, the orilice of which i's regulated by an adjustingneedle O5.

It will be undertsoodthat in a system of this kind the end of the tube at the home station must be normally closed against the passage `of either compressed air or air at atmospheric pressure. This may be accomplished in many ways; but it is simply and efficiently accomplished by the provision of the flapvalve D, normally held to its seat by light spring-pressure, such a spring being indicated, for instance, at D5, Fig. 5, while a locking-lever L l is provided to hold the valve D positively closed at certain times, D4 in the same figure indicating a springwhich nor- `mally holds the locking-lever L in non-operative or retracted position, as shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to send a carrier from the home station to the outer station B, the operator raises the flap-valve D and inserts the carrier into the end of the tube, the valve closing after the insertion. The operator then turns the lever J toward the left, the arm J4 impinging against the finger K of the lever K and turning this lever downward and through the link K2 and connected arm L turning the locking-lever L down on the flap-valve D, the motion being comparatively rapid at the beginning and as the lever-arm K and link K2 approach parallelism 'the force being greatly increased, so that -finally the flap-valve is held positively locked to its seat. The downward motion of the lever-arm K brings it finally into contact with the valve-spindle F5, opening the pressurevalve F5, and at the end of its movement the lever K is engaged in practically horizontal position by the latch-lever M. The described movement of the lever-arm J also effects a lifting movement of its connected arm J5, which draws up the piston of the time escapement device, the fluid in the top of the cylinder O escaping freely through the spring-valve O5, and when the air-valve has been latched open the arm J can be turned back to normal non-operative position without affecting any of the parts which it has moved in its working stroke. The admission of compressed air by the opening of the valve F5 propels the carrier to the out station, and of course the time escapement device is operating, the piston N5 moving downward while the carrier travels, the liuid in thebottom of the cylinder O escaping gradually upward through the restricted port O5 until finally the shoulder N of the piston-rod comes in contact with the linger M4 of the rod M5, drawing it downward and throwing the latch-lever M out of engagement with the end of the lever K, whereupon the valve F5 closes and the locking-lever L moves out to its normal non-operative position.

Vhen it is desired to send a carrier from the out station to the home station, the operator at the out station inserts the carrier in the end C2 of the tube and then turns the lever Q2, setting the time-escapementO at the out station and through the plate Q opening the circuit through the wires P P, with the result that the electromagnet I4 is denergized and the valve I5 moves downward, opening the ort I5 and closing the vacuum-pipe I. T 's permits atmos heric air to enter through the ort I5, cham er I2, and port H8 into the diap agm-chamber H2, whereupon the spring H5 raises the diaphragm H5, and the connected vacuum-valve H5, the vacuum communicating, through the ports C5, with the tube and causing the flow of air from the out station to the in station, with consequent transmission of the carrier, which on arrival yat the home station impinges against and opens the Hap-valve D, the time escapement at the out station in the meanwhile gradually bringing the circuit-closing plate to operative position in contact with the spring-terminals P', the contact restoring the current through the wires P P and energizing the magnet I4, so that the valve I5 is drawn up, closing the port I5, o ening the vacuum-pipe I drawingv down t e diaphragm, and closing the valve H3. The air is admitted to the chamber H by the opening of the Hap-valve D and of course aids in closing the vacuum-valve. i

The specific mechanism shown is well adapted for the purposes had in view and described, but is not essential to the broad utilization of'my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as in any way limiting my claims on such specification eX- cept where it is especially and clearly referred to in the claims as limiting elements therein.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A pneumatic-tube system comprising a transmission-tube, in combination with com- IOO IIO

`of said supply-chambers with the tube,

means for closing the end of the tube Which is connected with the supply-chamber tothe passage of outer air, means Jfor opening the compressed-air-supply valve situated and actuated at the end ofthe tube Which is connected With the supply-chambers and means for opening the vacuum-supply valve having actuating means located at the other end of the tube.

2. A pneumatic-tube system comprising a transmission-tube, in combination With compressed-air and vacuum supplyv chambers connected to one end of said tube, normally closed'valves for controlling the connection of said supply-chambers With the tube, means for closing the end of the tube Which is connected With the supply-chamber to the passage of outer air, means for opening the compressed-air-supply valve situated andv actuated at the end of the tube Which is connected With the supply-chambers, means for opening the vacuum-supply valve having actuating means located at the other end of the tube, and means for closing the open su ply.- valves after a carrier 'has passed throug the tube.

3. A pneumatic-tube system comprising a transmission-tube, in combination With compressed-air and vacuum supply chambers connected to one end of said tube, normally closed valves for controlling the connection of said supply-chambers With the tube, means for closing the end of the tube Which is connected With the supply-chamber to the passage of outer air, means for opening the compressed-air-supply valve situated and actuated at the end of the tube Which is connected With the supply-chambers, means for opening the vacuum-supply valve having actuating means located at the other end of the tube and time escapement means for closing the open supply-valves set in operation by the means employed to open said Valves.

4. In a pneumatic-tube system adapted to operate both as a pressure and vacuum system and having pressure and vacuum supply chambers connected to one end thereof, the combination therewith of normally closed valves controlling the pressure and vacuum connections, a flap-valve D, at the end of the tube, normally held closed by resilient means, means located and actuated at the valved end of the tube for opening the pressure-supply valve and vlocking the flap-valve and means for opening the vacuum-valve actuated from the otherend of the tube.

5. A pneumatic-tube-system comprising a vtransmission-tube, in combination With comconnected to one end of said tube, normally' closed valves for controlling the connection of said supply-chambers With the tube, a gatevalve at the end of the tube Which is connected With the supply-chambers, means for opening the compressed-air-supply valve and for locking the gate-valve situated and actuated at the end ofthe tube which is connected With the supply-chambers and means for opening the vacuum-supply valve having actuating means located at the other end of the tube.

6. In a pneumatic-tube system adapted to operate both as a pressure and vacuum system and having pressure and vacuum supply chambers connected to one end thereof, the

combination therewith of normally closed valves controlling the pressure and vacuum connections, a flap-valve D, at the end of the tube normally held closed by resilient means, a pivoted lever K, arranged When actuated to open the pressure-valve after moving through a determined angle, a flap-valve locking-lever L, having a lever-arm L, eX- tending from it, a link K27 connecting arm L, and lever K, as described, a latch for holding lever K, and connected parts in position to keep the pressure-valve open, a time escapement device for releasing the latch and manually-operated means for actuating lever K, and setting the time escapement in operation;

BIRNEY C. BATCHELLER. Witnesses:

GEO. J. MURRAY, N. E. STEvENsoN. 

